The ocean is our ancestor, our home.
We are bringing our indigenous perspective forward at international decision-making arenas to protect our precious Earth, curb the climate crisis, and inspire the global community into a renewed relationship with the planet.
Jess Loiterton / Pexels
Our Priorities
Our voyage is focused on solutions to mitigate the ocean’s biggest threats. In the same vaka, we paddle towards our shared vision of the future.
Together, we:
Support the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (also known as the BBNJ Agreement or high seas treaty) embracing Indigenous-led preparatory processes and proposals
Advocate for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, through our engagement at the International Seabed Authority
Mobilize for the recognition of Indigenous rights and interests within the legal frameworks governing Regional Fisheries Management Organizations
Build the next generation of advocates to protect and nurture our ancestral places
When asked, support aligned movements and initiatives of our sisters and brothers as guardians of their respective places
Tom Vierus / Ocean Image Bank
our call
As the people of Oceania, we hear the call of our ancestors, guiding us to join together in the same canoe, united in our traditional values and practices to speak for the ocean.
As Indigenous People, we have a deep relationship with nature. We believe that the Earth, its natural systems, and the life that surrounds us are our relatives, deserving of our care and reverence. We understand that the well-being of the planet’s creatures and systems is tied to our own survival.
The work before us is focused on realigning people, corporations, and governments in our global community to understand this reciprocal relationship with nature. We are veering conversations away from unprecedented resource extraction and taking a seat at the table where decisions about our ancestral places are made. We intervene with traditional wisdom and our shared vision of abundance–and do so at this critical point in time of a rapidly changing climate.
our crew
We are a people-powered movement with participants throughout Oceania who are steering our work and vision. This is only just the beginning.